Video game makers see actors as AI data, says union on strike [Video]

Artificial intelligence was key to last year’s Hollywood strikes, and it has now sparked a second walkout by those actors who work in a far larger industry, at the heart of advancing technology — video games.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) on Friday began its second strike in nine months, this time against gaming giants that dominate an industry which grosses well over $100 billion each year.

And while many demands are the same — consent and compensation for actors, whose voices and movements are used by AI to build game characters — the latest talks are posing unique challenges, union negotiators told AFP.

Technology companies, by their nature, tend to view actors simply “as data,” said Ray Rodriguez, lead negotiator for the video game contract.

“They’re getting performances that are nuanced, that are informed by the psychology of the character and the circumstance,” he said. “That’s what makes it …